Eating disorder - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

Vegard · 07-02-2006, 10:40 AM

First of all I want to say: I don't know if its called a disorder, but that was what my dictionary told me.

I don't feel hunger. At all. I can go a day without feeling the urge of eating. I hear people say "Ah, going to be nice with some food now" and all I can think is "some food would be healthy for me now".

Basically I eat because I (think I) have to eat. Only time i felt hunger was after a day or two in front of the geekbox - and even then I just slept and i went away. I don't eat much eighter. A slice of bread for breakfast and what normal people would call very little lunch. I have never been able to eat a whole pizza alone - wich is quite normal among my friends.

I don't have any bad self-esteem about my body other than that im quite thin - nothing to keep me from the beaches and stuff.

Other than this im quite healthy, not sick very often but im quite thin (not dagerously) but some fat woudnt hurt.

Is this a disorder? Should I seek out help?

(You have to excuse my not-so-good english. English was never -my- subject of favor)

Gilda · 07-02-2006, 11:44 AM

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/e...cle/003121.htm

Here's a link to possible causes of lack of appetite. The link suggest several possible causes and treatments, among which are to be sure to consume high protein nutrient rich drinks and eat several small meals a day, and keep a record of food intake to ensure that you're getting enough.

Most importantly, see a doctor and tell him/her about this. You may have a disorder that requires medical treatment.

Gilda

Jason762 · 07-02-2006, 01:51 PM

Sounds really odd, so I agree with Gilda. Go see a doc.

Most people who are thin have a high metabolism, so they MUST eat a lot. For you to be thin and not feel the need to eat a lot (and you apparently rarely feel the need to eat) is very unique.

Go see a doc

genuinegirly · 07-02-2006, 03:26 PM

Hey Vegard- I thought i was the only one who ran into this issue.

i'm average size and weight (5'5", 130lbs). I rarely, if ever, feel the urge to eat. It has been this way for 5 years. Maybe more. My mother tells me I have been dealing with it for 7 or so. Not sure, honestly. Had doctors tell me to drink a protein shake 3 times a day, which helps somewhat, but it's no substitute for real food. They've also told me to keep a food log. I have never had success with that. I just look at it and think: "er, I guess this is good." It's more of a pain than anything, and with no means of comparison it is basically pointless. It'd probably help a lot to keep a log with someone else my size, weight, and activity level. Charts that I have found online for recommended calorie consumption always seem to be far too much or designed for someone who is dieting.

The most productive step that I have taken is to focus on a schedule for eating: Make sure that I keep to it, especially if the activities for my day might be somewhat rigorous. 7am breakfast, 11am snack, 1pm lunch, 3pm snack, 6pm dinner. Don't always stick to it, but when I am in the middle of a busy week, with no external sources reminding me to eat, it helps. I had to set myself a series of alarms when I first began with scheduled meals.

I tend to feel faint and exhausted if I let myself go too long without food. I view exhaustion as the "hunger pangs" that everyone else seems to feel. If I ignore the exhaustion, I usually end up dealing with odd self-loathing to depression, mingled with a faint-feeling and a general sense of worthlessness. Sometimes I find myself wandering places that I completely didn't intend (walking into bookstores or craft stores, driving or biking aimlessly), with no concept of how long I have been there or what my initial goal was. Another indication that I should probably eat - but usually by then my reasoning is gone and it takes a LOT to pull myself out of it and make my way into the kitchen or a cafeteria.

It's a struggle. It could also be an indication of a greater health concern. So checking it out with a doctor, if you have medical attention readily available, might be the best move. If nothing else, s/he could recommend you to a nutritionist.

Good luck with it!

newtx · 07-02-2006, 09:54 PM

I would pay a visit to the doc. Sounds like there is something stopping you physically form having hunger.

Gilda · 07-02-2006, 10:52 PM

genuinegirly, thank you for sharing that.

I don't have the same problem, in that I do get hungry at regular intervals, but I am easily satiated, and have a relatively high metabolism. If I'm not careful to eat enough at each meal, I can start dropping weight rapidly, and when I'm in a depressive phase, I'll start eating a little less at meals or even skipping. It's not that I'm not getting hungry, because I am, at least a little, but I just don't see the effort, and with starting at 115 pounds at 5' 7", I don't have much that I can lose without hitting unhealthy levels.

Some of the psychological effects you describe are a little bit scary. Have you considered seeing a professional to deal with it, or is it just not something that you think is causing you problems? I'm seeing what could be symptoms of depression or related emotional disorders there.

Gilda

Vincentt · 07-03-2006, 06:43 AM

I found that I can simply not eat. It is very easy for me to set aside hunger in most cases.

For a while I would get hungry and just say "eh, I'll eat later" while I ran around doing a ton of other stuff. Sometimes I would be hungry before bed and just say, "Bah, I'll eat tomorrow."

I started losing a lot of weight, and it wasn't very healthy.

Now I make sure to eat often, and I go to the gym a whole lot more. If I don't eat, I can't do what I need to in the gym.

But I 100% understand the statement "I need to eat because it is healthy." I rarely look for food because I "want" to eat it; I simply know that I need to eat.

I do enjoy sweets though, and often go eat a meal, just so I can have desert afterwards.

My recommendation: start going to the gym, I bet getting some muscle would do wonders for your appetite, and your image. Use a bulk up protein shake, something with over 500cals a shot.

You are already thin, and your body doesn't tend to put on fat. You will gain weight, but only from muscle. You'll look and feel better, and the best way to eat when trying to gain muscle is 6 small meals a day.

So you don't have to worry about eating a large plate of anything, you can have single chicken breasts, cans of tuna, protein and fruit shakes etc.

Having the meals at set times will help you eat.

Vegard · 07-04-2006, 05:42 AM

Thanks for the good response. Felt like I was the only one with this issue, therefor Iv been supressing it for some time.

I will visit a doctor in near future. Just need the guts now.

Vincentt, its just the same whit me. I can feel an emptyness in my stomack sometimes, but then again nothing to stop me from not eating.

07-02-2006, 10:40 AM	#1 (permalink)
Vegard Upright	Eating disorder First of all I want to say: I don't know if its called a disorder, but that was what my dictionary told me. I don't feel hunger. At all. I can go a day without feeling the urge of eating. I hear people say "Ah, going to be nice with some food now" and all I can think is "some food would be healthy for me now". Basically I eat because I (think I) have to eat. Only time i felt hunger was after a day or two in front of the geekbox - and even then I just slept and i went away. I don't eat much eighter. A slice of bread for breakfast and what normal people would call very little lunch. I have never been able to eat a whole pizza alone - wich is quite normal among my friends. I don't have any bad self-esteem about my body other than that im quite thin - nothing to keep me from the beaches and stuff. Other than this im quite healthy, not sick very often but im quite thin (not dagerously) but some fat woudnt hurt. Is this a disorder? Should I seek out help? (You have to excuse my not-so-good english. English was never -my- subject of favor)

07-02-2006, 03:26 PM	#4 (permalink)
genuinegirly Eat your vegetables Super Moderator Location: Arabidopsis-ville	Hey Vegard- I thought i was the only one who ran into this issue. i'm average size and weight (5'5", 130lbs). I rarely, if ever, feel the urge to eat. It has been this way for 5 years. Maybe more. My mother tells me I have been dealing with it for 7 or so. Not sure, honestly. Had doctors tell me to drink a protein shake 3 times a day, which helps somewhat, but it's no substitute for real food. They've also told me to keep a food log. I have never had success with that. I just look at it and think: "er, I guess this is good." It's more of a pain than anything, and with no means of comparison it is basically pointless. It'd probably help a lot to keep a log with someone else my size, weight, and activity level. Charts that I have found online for recommended calorie consumption always seem to be far too much or designed for someone who is dieting. The most productive step that I have taken is to focus on a schedule for eating: Make sure that I keep to it, especially if the activities for my day might be somewhat rigorous. 7am breakfast, 11am snack, 1pm lunch, 3pm snack, 6pm dinner. Don't always stick to it, but when I am in the middle of a busy week, with no external sources reminding me to eat, it helps. I had to set myself a series of alarms when I first began with scheduled meals. I tend to feel faint and exhausted if I let myself go too long without food. I view exhaustion as the "hunger pangs" that everyone else seems to feel. If I ignore the exhaustion, I usually end up dealing with odd self-loathing to depression, mingled with a faint-feeling and a general sense of worthlessness. Sometimes I find myself wandering places that I completely didn't intend (walking into bookstores or craft stores, driving or biking aimlessly), with no concept of how long I have been there or what my initial goal was. Another indication that I should probably eat - but usually by then my reasoning is gone and it takes a LOT to pull myself out of it and make my way into the kitchen or a cafeteria. It's a struggle. It could also be an indication of a greater health concern. So checking it out with a doctor, if you have medical attention readily available, might be the best move. If nothing else, s/he could recommend you to a nutritionist. Good luck with it! __________________ "Sometimes I have to remember that things are brought to me for a reason, either for my own lessons or for the benefit of others." Cynthetiq "violence is no more or less real than non-violence." roachboy

07-03-2006, 06:43 AM	#7 (permalink)
Vincentt Addict Location: Tokyo, Japan	I found that I can simply not eat. It is very easy for me to set aside hunger in most cases. For a while I would get hungry and just say "eh, I'll eat later" while I ran around doing a ton of other stuff. Sometimes I would be hungry before bed and just say, "Bah, I'll eat tomorrow." I started losing a lot of weight, and it wasn't very healthy. Now I make sure to eat often, and I go to the gym a whole lot more. If I don't eat, I can't do what I need to in the gym. But I 100% understand the statement "I need to eat because it is healthy." I rarely look for food because I "want" to eat it; I simply know that I need to eat. I do enjoy sweets though, and often go eat a meal, just so I can have desert afterwards. My recommendation: start going to the gym, I bet getting some muscle would do wonders for your appetite, and your image. Use a bulk up protein shake, something with over 500cals a shot. You are already thin, and your body doesn't tend to put on fat. You will gain weight, but only from muscle. You'll look and feel better, and the best way to eat when trying to gain muscle is 6 small meals a day. So you don't have to worry about eating a large plate of anything, you can have single chicken breasts, cans of tuna, protein and fruit shakes etc. Having the meals at set times will help you eat. __________________ .

07-02-2006, 11:44 AM	#2 (permalink)
Gilda 32 flavors and then some Location: Out on a wire.	http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/e...cle/003121.htm Here's a link to possible causes of lack of appetite. The link suggest several possible causes and treatments, among which are to be sure to consume high protein nutrient rich drinks and eat several small meals a day, and keep a record of food intake to ensure that you're getting enough. Most importantly, see a doctor and tell him/her about this. You may have a disorder that requires medical treatment. Gilda

07-02-2006, 01:51 PM	#3 (permalink)
Jason762 Insane Location: Bay Area, California	Sounds really odd, so I agree with Gilda. Go see a doc. Most people who are thin have a high metabolism, so they MUST eat a lot. For you to be thin and not feel the need to eat a lot (and you apparently rarely feel the need to eat) is very unique. Go see a doc

07-02-2006, 09:54 PM	#5 (permalink)
newtx Addict	I would pay a visit to the doc. Sounds like there is something stopping you physically form having hunger.

07-02-2006, 10:52 PM	#6 (permalink)
Gilda 32 flavors and then some Location: Out on a wire.	genuinegirly, thank you for sharing that. I don't have the same problem, in that I do get hungry at regular intervals, but I am easily satiated, and have a relatively high metabolism. If I'm not careful to eat enough at each meal, I can start dropping weight rapidly, and when I'm in a depressive phase, I'll start eating a little less at meals or even skipping. It's not that I'm not getting hungry, because I am, at least a little, but I just don't see the effort, and with starting at 115 pounds at 5' 7", I don't have much that I can lose without hitting unhealthy levels. Some of the psychological effects you describe are a little bit scary. Have you considered seeing a professional to deal with it, or is it just not something that you think is causing you problems? I'm seeing what could be symptoms of depression or related emotional disorders there. Gilda

07-04-2006, 05:42 AM	#8 (permalink)
Vegard Upright	Thanks for the good response. Felt like I was the only one with this issue, therefor Iv been supressing it for some time. I will visit a doctor in near future. Just need the guts now. Vincentt, its just the same whit me. I can feel an emptyness in my stomack sometimes, but then again nothing to stop me from not eating.